The present invention relates to a press-control retaining device and, more particularly, to such a press-control retaining device, which is comprised of a casing, a spring mounted in the casing, a retainer member supported on the casing and adapted for clamping on an external object, and a slide coupled to the retainer member for enabling the retainer member to be moved between the clamping position and the releasing position by means of press control.
FIG. 7 shows a press-control retaining device for use with a writing instrument, door lock, storage container lock, or the like. This structure of press-control retaining device comprises a casing A, a compression spring D, a control member B, and a retainer member C. The casing A comprises a top-open receiving chamber A2, and a side hole A1. The control member B is mounted in the top-open receiving chamber A2 of the casing A, comprising a positioning rod B1 horizontally disposed at a bottom side and engaged into the side hole A1, and a locating rod B2 horizontally disposed at a top side. The retainer member C is supported on the compression spring D, comprising a guide groove C1 and a retaining notch C11 at one end of the guide groove C1. Please refer also to FIGS. from 8 through 10. When pressing an external object on the retainer member C, the retainer member C is moved relative to the control member B, enabling the locating rod B2 to be forced into engagement with the retaining notch C11 to hold the retainer member C is the clamping position where the retainer member C is clamped on the external object. When pressing the retainer member C downwards further to the bottom limit position, the locating rod B2 is disengaged from the retaining notch C11, and therefore the retainer member C is pushed upwards by the compression spring D and disengaged from the external object after releasing of the downward pressure from the retainer member C. This structure of press-control retaining device still has drawbacks. Because the retainer member and the control member must match each other perfectly, the precision requirement is critical, and the molding cost is high. Further, the locating rod, the retaining notch and the guide groove wear quickly with use. When the locating rod, the retaining notch and the guide groove start to wear, the retainer member tends to be vibrated and forced away from the external object, or jammed in the casing.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a press-control retaining device, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a press-control retaining device, which is less critical in precision requirement. It is another object of the present invention to provide a press-control retaining device, which can be positively moved between the clamping position and the releasing position. The press-control retaining device comprises a casing, the casing having two engagement flanges disposed at two sides, a retainer member supported on a spring inside the casing and adapted for securing to an external object, the retainer member having a substantially -shaped bottom positioning base supported on the spring and two springy arms upwardly outwardly extended from the bottom positioning base and adapted for clamping on an external object, the bottom positioning base comprising two first hooked portions bilaterally disposed at a bottom side, two stop flanges bilaterally disposed at a top side, and two second hooked portions respectively spaced between the first hooked portions and the stop flanges, and a slide coupled to the retainer member between the stop flanges and the second hooked portions. The engagement flanges of the casing and the arms of the retainer member are springy. When pressing an external object on the retainer member to force the second hooked portions into engagement with the hooked portions of the engagement flanges of the casing, the arms are compressed inwards by the peripheral wall of the casing and clamped on the external object. When pushing the external object to move the retainer member downwards to the bottom limit position in the casing and then releasing the pressure from the external object, the first hooked portions are forced by the spring means into engagement with the engagement flanges, and the arms are released from the external object.